Live music complimented the distinctive hum of The Underground Coffee Co. Saturday afternoon as the B-Side Magazine hosted its annual spring Coffeehaus show, which featured various student performers and groups.
“Sometimes at Brown if you’re doing something that’s not quantifiable in terms of a grade, or a thesis, or an internship, it doesn’t always get recognized,” said Michael O’Neill ’19, managing editor of B-Side. “I wanted to put on an event where students can perform and (display) these skills, and others can come and watch.”
The lineup of featured student musicians included performers Drew Wendel, Sofia Frohna & Friends, Cat Carignan, Alidade, Julia Hava, The Schapiro 17 and Tourist Tortoise.
“I really like The Underground as a space for more singer-songwriter artists,” said Drew Wendel ’19, one of the performers, who describes her music as “singer-songwriter, very stripped-down and acoustic.” The intimate setting of The Underground is ideal for such performances, and harmonizes well with Coffeehaus’s intention of bringing people together in a small space and making student artists heard, she elaborated.
“The event had a really cool laid-back vibe,” said Charlie Saperstein ’21, a writer for B-Side. “People were streaming in and out, doing homework, stopping by — and I think everyone really appreciated the performers,” he continued.
Hosting the event at The Underground is mutually beneficial to both the student-run coffee shop and the featured artists, O’Neill said. “The Underground gets more business from the extra audience and the students get the opportunity to show off stuff they’ve worked really hard on,” he explained.
Following the spring Coffeehaus, B-Side will host their annual tent show April 25, which will showcase a variety of student performers in an outdoor setting.
“My favorite part of (hosting these events) is giving people a platform to perform and getting to meet so many people on campus who are so incredibly good at making music,” O’Neill said, and added that such events help showcase the variety of student acts on campus.
